Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today announced the indictment of former neurologist RICARDO CRUCIANI, 63, for sexually assaulting six female patients in his care while he was employed at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. The defendant is charged in a 16-count New York State Supreme Court indictment with Rape in the First and Third Degrees, Criminal Sexual Act in the First and Third Degrees, Attempted Rape in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse in the Fourth Degree. [1]

“When patients seek medical care, they place an enormous amount of trust in their providers,” said District Attorney Vance. “As alleged in the indictment, Ricardo Cruciani is charged with violating this trust by exploiting the power imbalance inherent in the doctor-patient relationship and sexually assaulting half a dozen women in his care. I want to thank the brave survivors for coming forward, and I encourage anyone who believes that a sex crime has occurred in Manhattan – at the hands of this doctor or anyone else – to call our Sex Crimes Hotline at (212) 335-9373.”

According to the indictment and statements made on the record in court, from approximately 2002 to 2014, CRUCIANI was employed at Mount Sinai Beth Israel near Union Square as Chief of the Palliative Care Division. In that capacity, he was responsible for administering treatment to patients afflicted with chronic and debilitating pain disorders. Beginning in 2013, CRUCIANI sexually assaulted at least six female patients in his care. The alleged assaults include forceful kissing, groping, and non-consensual intercourse.

One of the survivors reported the conduct to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Sex Crimes Hotline, prompting an investigation. CRUCIANI was later arrested in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and on February 20, 2018, he was extradited to New York City.

Assistant D.A. Leah Branch is handling the prosecution of the case under the supervision of Assistant D.As Robert Ferrari, Chief of Trial Bureau 40; Shannon Lucey and Jennifer Gaffney, Deputy Chiefs of the Sex Crimes Unit; and Martha Bashford, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit, as well as Executive Assistant D.A. John Irwin, Chief of the Trial Division. Assistant D.A. Jamie Kleidman and Investigative Analyst Sarah Skutch also provided valuable assistance on the case.

District Attorney Vance thanked the NYPD’s Special Victims Detective Squad for its assistance.
[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

Defendant Information:

RICARDO CRUCIANI, D.O.B, 07/22/1954
Montgomery County, PA

Charged:

• Rape in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Attempted Rape in the First Degree, a class C felony, one count
• Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D felony, three counts
• Rape in the Third Degree, a class E felony, two counts
• Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, a class E felony, seven counts
• Aggravated Sexual Abuse in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count